# What's wrong with Ron Paul? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 19, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153 "2011-10-19T16:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FixMyIgnorance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FixMyIgnorance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FixMyIgnorance)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/1 "2011-10-19T16:08:40Z")
Why is he always so censored? Does he know what he’s talking about? Would you vote for him? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/2 "2011-10-19T16:11:29Z")
Moved to Elections from Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/3 "2011-10-19T16:16:47Z")
He’s a Libertarian, and whether you’d vote for him should depend mostly on how you feel about that. But, Libertarians/libertarians are not the biggest part of the GOP’s base. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/4 "2011-10-19T16:24:26Z")
> [@FixMyIgnorance](#): > > Why is he always so censored? Does he know what he’s talking about? He’s not being censored, he’s being ignored. In exactly the same way that Lyndon LaRouche is being ignored. That very few in the media are paying attention to him isn’t an outrage, it is a public service. Look at Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, and Michelle Bachmann: the media has given them far more attention than they deserve, which makes people start to think that those individuals should be taken seriously. Let’s get real, they shouldn’t. There are plenty of people on the other side of issues who should be similarly disregarded in order to make time for issues that matter: Ralph Nader and the hobbit from Cleveland, whatshisname, among them. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/5 "2011-10-19T16:31:26Z")
He isn’t censored, he just isn’t terribly important. He has a small cult-like following that come out every four years. No, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He has a bunch of crazy ideas about which he twists facts to fit his worldview. No, I wouldn’t vote for him in a million years, which is approximately how long he’ll be running. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/6 "2011-10-19T16:36:29Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > He’s not being censored, he’s being ignored. In exactly the same way that Lyndon LaRouche is being ignored. I was just drafting a thread **Ron Paul: the right’s answer to Lyndon LaRouche**. While there are a select few ‘good’ ideas in his platform, I’m sure that if you pick through the rubble of a clock factory after the criminally insane through a riot in there, you’d find a few clocks that displayed the correct time. His ideas are ill-thought out, and trying to hold a conversation with one of his (typical) supporters is futile–you’re most likely to get platitudes and shallow statements that lack any semblance of analysis or critical thinking. If anyone has had a run-in with a LaRouche supporter, you’ll recognize the interaction. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/7 "2011-10-19T16:40:17Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > If anyone has had a run-in with a LaRouche supporter, you’ll recognize the interaction. I have, once or twice, long ago. Are they still around? Their world-view is . . . astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/8 "2011-10-19T16:41:15Z")
He also isn’t a Libertarian. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/9 "2011-10-19T16:44:34Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > He also isn’t a Libertarian. He was their presidential candidate in 1988, what more proof do ya want? I mean, he’s a Pub **now,** but if the Dems can be infested with crypto-Commies as the RW often asserts, then . . . ---
**Author:** ![Da\_Mikster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Da\_Mikster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Da_Mikster)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/10 "2011-10-19T17:09:47Z")
What is wrong with Ron Paul’s ideas, and why the press doesn’t cover him are probably two separate topics. Smart folks can have some pretty dumb ideas, but they think they are brilliant. The average editor is out to attract readers, sell advertising and in many ways promote their boss’ worldview so they get a raise/promotion… Soooo… For many folks, they can swallow one or two bits of Dr. Paul’s ideas, but there isn’t enough Kool-Aid in the world to wash down the rest. To the press, this campaign is a tired re-run of the last one. They want new, shiny and exciting… or at least so bizarre folks stop to take notice. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/11 "2011-10-19T17:25:39Z")
> [@Da\_Mikster](#): > > What is wrong with Ron Paul’s ideas, and why the press doesn’t cover him are probably two separate topics. They’re definitely two separate topics: whether his ideas are right or wrong, the idea that the press doesn’t cover him is a fiction. It’s a myth his supporters tell each other to explain why more people don’t vote for him. It couldn’t possibly be because only a small minority of people share his opinions. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/12 "2011-10-19T18:23:29Z")
> [@FixMyIgnorance](#): > > Why is he always so censored? Does he know what he’s talking about? Would you vote for him? His ideas are mostly untested in real life. This frightens many people on both sides of the political spectrum. He is trying to build a movement by running for president. He is the most consistent politician in the race. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/13 "2011-10-19T19:06:18Z")
Paul’s ideas, like any Libertarian idea, scares people because most people don’t want drastic change in life. Sure, we might need to trim spending here and there, maybe bump up taxes here and there to control the deficit, but we don’t want things to change drastically. I get up, go to work, come home, eat, take a healthy dump, go to bed. I don’t want anything that will mess with that routine too much. Paul’s ideas are drastic and might mess up my routine. A mainstream Dem or GOP candidate will not do that. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/14 "2011-10-19T20:33:58Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > His ideas are mostly untested in real life. This frightens many people on both sides of the political spectrum. > [@jtgain](#): > > Paul’s ideas, like any Libertarian idea, scares people because most people don’t want drastic change in life. As much as Paul’s supporters might wish this to be true, what you are mistaking for fear is actually healthy dismissal of ideas that are at best unworkable for a variety of reasons, and at worst actively damaging. There has never, ever been a campaign that I can recall in which Paul ran and was considered a viable competitive candidate, for that very reason - most of his ideas are on the lunatic fringe. The only reason he looks even slightly respectable during this campaign season is because he’s not the only lunatic running anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/15 "2011-10-19T20:41:46Z")
I actually feel like he comes closer to getting a free pass from the media than he does to being “censored.” I’d like to see a critical analysis of some of his more extreme ideas (and that’s relative to his regularly extreme ideas), like the [We the People Act](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.3893:#), which would effectively repeal the 4th Amendment and a large chunk of the 1st Amendment as they apply to states. The “libertarian” candidate wants to let states ban religions and sex as they see fit and violate their citizens’ privacy with impunity. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/16 "2011-10-19T20:51:25Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I actually feel like he comes closer to getting a free pass from the media than he does to being “censored.” I’d like to see a critical analysis of some of his more extreme ideas (and that’s relative to his regularly extreme ideas), like the [We the People Act](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.3893:#), which would effectively repeal the 4th Amendment and a large chunk of the 1st Amendment as they apply to states. The “libertarian” candidate wants to let states ban religions and sex as they see fit and violate their citizens’ privacy with impunity. I think you meant the 14th amendment. But I agree, he’s a nutjob. I say that with respect, I even voted for him in 1988. ---
**Author:** ![Buchanan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Buchanan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buchanan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/17 "2011-10-19T20:56:01Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I actually feel like he comes closer to getting a free pass from the media than he does to being “censored.” I’d like to see a critical analysis of some of his more extreme ideas (and that’s relative to his regularly extreme ideas), like the [We the People Act](http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.3893:#), which would effectively repeal the 4th Amendment and a large chunk of the 1st Amendment as they apply to states. The “libertarian” candidate wants to let states ban religions and sex as they see fit and violate their citizens’ privacy with impunity. The language seems like straight-forward states’ rights to me - it keeps the federal judiciary out of issues which the feds have no constitutional mandate. Where’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/18 "2011-10-19T21:01:49Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > As much as Paul’s supporters might wish this to be true, what you are mistaking for fear is actually healthy dismissal of ideas that are at best unworkable for a variety of reasons, and at worst actively damaging. Exactly. We’re not intimidated by Paul’s ideas anymore than we’re intimidated by Paddy Bates’ claim that Sealand is a real country. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/19 "2011-10-19T21:04:33Z")
> [@Buchanan](#): > > The language seems like straight-forward states’ rights to me - it keeps the federal judiciary out of issues which the feds have no constitutional mandate. Where’s the problem? I like civil rights. “Straight-forward states’ rights” takes them away. I don’t think states should have the right to force me to go to church, or to come into my house without justification, or to tell me not to be gay, and I think the federal government should use force against states that violate their 14th Amendment obligations not to do those things to me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153/20 "2011-10-19T21:07:26Z")
> [@Buchanan](#): > > The language seems like straight-forward states’ rights to me - it keeps the federal judiciary out of issues which the feds have no constitutional mandate. Where’s the problem? The We the People Act itself acknowledges that Congress has the constitutional authority to determine what areas the federal judiciary has jurisdiction over. And if Congress didn’t have the power to determine what the jurisdiction of the federal courts was, then how is an act of congress supposed to change the jurisdiction of the federal courts? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-ron-paul/600153.md?page=2)